How to improve at Poker
Poker is a game that can take a lifetime to master – even the most proficient players still consider themselves a student of the craft. Unlike chess which, although equates to a huge figure, still has a finite number of possible outcomes, poker players also have human emotion to contend with and wager against which is notoriously irrational.
Beginners especially can feel daunted when entering an arena occupied by seasoned veterans and the learning curve can at times feel exceptionally steep. Thankfully, with the sport being as popular and lucrative as it is, there is no end of helpful literature to aid budding cardsters on their way to winning poker tournaments with ease.
The Basics
If you’re just starting out, there are a huge number of poker variants to try your hand at so deciding first which of them you’d like to play will be your initial step. Texas hold ‘em is perhaps the most widely played, certainly at a competitive level so unless you’re set on a different format we’d recommend starting there.
After getting your head around the rules of your chosen variation, the best place to start is to get some experience under your belt. A free online poker game, of which there are many, should be your first port of call, where no real money is being bet.
These are no/low risk games where you can become accustomed to the pacing and workings of the poker table without having to jeopardise any of your bank balance. You will immediately notice the increased pressure when graduating to games with higher minimums where more than reputations are on the line – so increase your wagers incrementally and always stick to your limits.
Learn From the Masters
The ‘hole’ or ‘pocket’ cam revolutionised televised poker when it was introduced in 1999 by letting viewers and commentators in on what cards the players were concealing. This enabled enthusiasts to understand the levels at which professionals bet and raise and when they were more inclined to fold.
Watching the way the best players perform is a great method of improving your own game in many disciplines and poker is no different. There are many dedicated poker YouTube channels and Twitch streams where you can see high-end poker games 24 hours a day from whichever country you reside in.
Sharpen Up Your Maths Skills
Going hand in hand with studying how professional players conduct themselves is being able to apply those skills quickly and when under pressure. Often you’ll be looking to bet a certain percentage of the pot and that requires some quick mental arithmetic. The necessary maths skills will naturally improve the more you play but you can accelerate your progress with revision and practise away from the table. You can find a free online maths course to brush up your skills.
One of the more advanced sides of the game is the use of high level statistics and poker stats tables can help to demystify them before being committed to memory. Poker pros use statistics to calculate:
- The odds of hitting a hand
An out is a yet to be dealt card that would improve a player’s hand to one that is likely to win. Based on the number of outs remaining in the deck, an experienced player can estimate how likely a hand is to hit.
- Pot odds and break even points
Pot odds are simply what you stand to gain from calling, against what it costs for you to call. If the pot contains $8 and your opponent shoves $4 into the pot, you would need to risk $4 to call the shove and the reward would be the sum of the pot. $4 against $16 i.e. 25%.
- Game theory optimal play
The extremely complex idea of a theoretically perfect game of poker. This one might be best left to computers.
Play Fewer Hands
When you first start playing it’s tempting to play hands that you know are objectively bad and pray that lady luck is on your side, after all, winning a hand as the underdog is a hard feeling to beat. But you’ll soon burn through your chip stack if you approach the game in this way.
Poker is among other things a game of probabilities and while you might get lucky with the odd hand, the more hands you play, the closer to the actual probability your win rate will approach. Put simply if you consistently play risky hands, your career winnings will be in the red.
Playing fewer hands also means you’re able to play more aggressively in the rounds that you do wish to bet in. The added bonus of playing even speculative hands more aggressively is it helps to disguise a truly strong hand when it occurs.
Don’t Focus Only on Yourself
As many of the skills you learn become second nature you can start to pay more attention to what your opponents are doing. Tells are changes in a players behaviour or demeanour that give clues as to what their hand might be.
Commit to free online memory game to help teach yourself skills on how to anticipate an opponent actions during a hand and once his cards are revealed, if they are, compare that to how they acted when they had a similar hand before, or when they were bluffing. If you can begin to create a profile of each player you’re sitting opposite, their cards will become increasingly transparent.
Improving at poker is a lifetime pursuit for many but if you can enjoy the process, you’ll find yourself winning an increasing number of hands and tournaments in no time. In addition, poker is one of the many unique online gift ideas you can give your relative or loved one should you decide to give them a thank-you gift this year!
